'Nasty Padang': Centipede found in meal at Century Square
Woman finds black centipede in meal
She was having her lunch at Century Square Mall when she saw a long black object in her plate of nasi padang.
It turned out to be a centipede "as long as a finger".
"It was so gross... I felt like vomiting," Mrs Mohamed told The New Paper in an interview last Friday.
Her husband, Mr Elkhouly, a 40-year-old unemployed foreigner, sent an e-mail to TNP last week to highlight the incident.
Mrs Mohamed, a customer service officer at a major airline, ordered ikan assam pedas (a spicy fish dish), vegetables and white rice at about 2pm on Tuesday at Punggol Nasi Padang's outlet in Century Square Mall.
HORRIFIED
To her horror, when she flipped over the fish that was on her plate, she found a black centipede.
"I was so scared and I don't know if I had eaten another one," said Mrs Mohamed.
Disgusted, she took the plate of food to the staff, who she claims "brushed it off and tried to refund me".
She had paid about $5 for her meal. The staff on duty allegedly wanted to refund her the same amount and close the matter.
The staff did apologise to Mrs Mohamed, but she said she was still very upset.
She reported the case to the police and the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Mrs Mohamed had complained of nausea and stomach ache after the incident. Mr Elkhouly accompanied her to Changi General Hospital (CGH) in an ambulance that day.
Mr Elkhouly said that doctors who examined her at CGH described her condition as "something like food poisoning".
She was not hospitalised and has been resting at home.
"I am very worried for my wife since she keeps thinking about this incident. I hope NEA will do something about this," said Mr Elkhouly.
An NEA spokesman said that the outlet was found to be maintained in a satisfactory condition and there were no hygiene lapse found at the stall.
NEA reminded the vendor to practise good food and personal hygiene, and to ensure proper housekeeping and storage of food.
A spokesman for Punggol Nasi Padang said that they have apologised to the family and that more stringent checks have been implemented across all outlets.
"That said, we are confident that our food is clean," said the spokesman in a phone interview with TNP.
FOOD FRIGHTS
DEC 2015
What: Bacteria in fish
The Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections affected 150 individuals who contracted the disease after consuming freshwater fish.
What happened next: On Dec 5 last year, the NEA banned the use of freshwater fish in raw fish dishes. Some restaurants replaced the raw fish component of yu sheng, a popular dish during Chinese New Year, with cooked fish.
OCT 6, 2014
What: Cockroach infestation
A chicken rice stall in 1983 - A Taste of Nanyang , a foodcourt in Marina Bay Sands, was found to be infested with cockroaches. Netizen Kovit Ang posted a picture of five cockroaches on his Facebook page.
What happened next: The foodcourt closed temporarily for a thorough cleaning. An NEA spokesman said that action would be taken against the food operator.
JAN 27, 2014
What: Dead cockroach
Ms Carolyn Chee, 42, found a cockroach floating in a bowl of soup that she ordered from The Soup Spoon outlet at Marina Bay Link Mall.
What happened next: Ms Chee reported the incident to NEA. There were no further reports on action taken by NEA.
NOV 6, 2010
What: Centipede
Madam L. P. Tan spotted a centipede floating in her soup at a coffee shop near Farrer Park.
What happened next: She informed workers at the stall and the stall offered her compensation and said she could order anything from the menu for free. She declined the offer.
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